1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power feeding device having a wiring harness bent into a U-shape to be received in a case for feeding electric power continuously to a movable structure such as a slide door and a slide seat of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 4 shows a usual power feeding device (refer Patent Reference 1).
A power feeding device 41 is installed in a slide door 42 of a vehicle. In the power feeding device 41, a flat wiring harness 45 bent into a U-shape is received in a long sideways case 44, and a slider 46 is provided slidably within the case 44, and one leg of the wiring harness 45 is fixed on the slider 46 and the other leg of the wiring harness 45 is fixed on the case 44.
The slider 46 is connected with a vehicle body 43 by a flexible arm 43. A wiring harness 48 of the vehicle body 43 is wired from one leg of the wiring harness 45 along the arm 47 toward an electric power supply. The other leg of the wiring harness 45 is connected with a wiring harness at the slide door 42 toward an auxiliary device (not shown) such as a motor for a power regulated window, a door lock unit, a switch unit.
The flat wiring harness 45 is provided with a flexible support plate for preventing slack of the wiring harness 45. The case 44 has a bottom wall. The wiring harness 45 is formed into the U-shape along a top wall 49 and the bottom wall parallel to the top wall 49 of the case 44.
When the slide door 42 in a condition of partly open as shown in FIG. 4 is moved forward as an arrow A for slot, the slider 46 moves relatively toward a rear of the case 44, and the wiring harness 45 is curved into the U-shape to have a top part 45a and a bottom part 45b of almost same lengths. When the slide door 42 in a condition of partly open as shown in FIG. 4 is moved rearward as an arrow B for closing, the slider 46 moves relatively toward a front of the case 44, and the wiring harness 45 is curved in the J-shape to have the shorter bottom part 45b than the top part 45a. Thus, the slack of the wiring harness 45 is absorbed so as to provide continuously electric power securely to each auxiliary device in the slide door.
Reference Patent 1 is Japan Patent Application Laid Open No. H11-342807.